Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

Our special in-studio guests this week: Victoria Kolakowski and H.P. Mendoza

Judge Victoria Kolakowski is the first openly transgender trial judge in the United States; she was elected to the Alameda County Superior Court in November 2010. Judge Kolakowski is the immediate past president of the International Association of LGBT Judges. She currently is supervising judge of the Collaborative Courts for Alameda County, coordinating the various problem-solving courts.

Since coming out publicly in 1989, she has been a leader in numerous local, state and national LGBT legal, political and spiritual organizations. She is a frequent guest speaker on issues of LGBT inclusion, and particularly about the transgender community. Her many accomplishments include co-authoring Berkeley, California's domestic partner public registration ordinance in 1991 and co-chairing the board of directors of the Transgender Law Center, an organization focused on the well-being and protection of transgender individuals.vvvvvv 

H.P Mendoza is a Filipino-American filmmaker and artist best known for his micro-budget work as screenwriter, composer and lyricist on Colma: The Musical (2007), as well as his award-winning directorial effort, I Am a Ghost (2014). Mendoza's musical films have been dubbed "mumblechoral" by Steve Seid of Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. In 2012, Mendoza was inducted into Essential SF by the San Francisco Film Society alongside Terry Zwigoff and Judy Stone. Along with his feature films, Mendoza is also known for his music in films, installations and albums, notably his second album, Nomad, re-released for its 10th anniversary in 2016. H.P. Mendoza is currently on the film festival circuit with his Filipino-American comedy-drama, Bitter Melon, making its world premiere as a Centerpiece film at CAAMFEST in San Francisco.

See more upcoming Michelle Meow Shows at The Commonwealth Club here.